Giving Love…

This time of year we gear up for the season of “giving”; that is, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, or whatever you celebrate.

From a child’s point of view, it’s the best time of the YEAR, nothing else compares! A week or so off from school, lots of food, playtime, and PRESENTS!

BEFORE the day:

What would make me SO happy? What do I want THIS year? Oh, there is so much to CHOOSE from! Wonderful video games and new systems to play them on, on my widescreen t.v. I got LAST year…a mountain bike would be great…I NEED clothes, but THAT’S almost always going to happen, anyway…so I won’t ASK for that kind of stuff. Grandma’s bound to get me socks, or a nice long-sleeved shirt, or something like that from the Aunts and Uncles, as well. Or a “group” gift from them, which will probably include the cousins, as well.

I’ll probably get something like a robot, or a crazy inventive toy of some sort, because THAT’S expected to get for a “creative” kid. But, what do I really WANT? I’ll have to watch some t.v., and see what the hot item IS, this year. Or go online and see what’s ‘trending’…That’ll help. I’ll text my buds, and see what they’re asking for, this year.

DURING:

When I open my gifts, I feel LOVED. I don’t mind sharing the experience with others, but it’s really all about what I get from the experience. And how MUCH I get from everyone! Another selfie for Facebook, and Instagram…couple pics for the folks…gotta show the world how much my people LOVE me. Smile!

AFTER:

It was a GREAT Holiday, and now I have tons of new things to bond with. I surround myself with my bounty. This is awesome. I really feel like I am WORTHWHILE, now. I feel great about myself. My parents, family, and friends DO love me. This PROVES it!

*******

The child will play with their new things, and wear the new clothes, and revel in the new experience for days, weeks, maybe even longer. And, with the days off from school, they will share with their friends, and compare the bounties, online and in person. The joy is then multiplied by shared experiences. What a HAPPY time! Life is GOOD. THEN, what? Well, the BIRTHDAY will be coming soon, right? So the process will begin, again. What things does the child want in their life to feel complete? So MANY they’re told they NEED to be up to date with their peers. Can’t fall BEHIND…!

From the parents’ point of view:

Well, it’s that time of year, again. How do I show my kids and spouse how much I LOVE them? How can I be generous, without going over-board? Especially when the kids are at that age where everything they want is so damned expensive?

Well, I’ll have to collaborate with my partner, and figure it, out. As BUSY as we get just keeping this family going as smoothly as we can, with both of us working so hard, this is one of the few times we can SHOW them how much we love them. We don’t want to look cheap, or show any favorites, either! Tough job.

“Have they left any HINTS as to what they want? Have they told YOU anything, dear? Oh, you got a LIST for ‘Santa’, huh? These kids are too sophisticated to think there’s an old bearded man involved, aren’t they, honey? Don’t look at me that way.

“It doesn’t cost ENOUGH to be a parent, does it, sweetheart? Food, clothes, school, entertainment, sports… AND we gotta shell out big money every year for the Holidays, AND their birthday….all right, I’ll shut up. But you KNOW it’s true. Yeah, yeah. Love YOU, too.

Okay…off to the STORES, then. Can’t get EVERYTHING online, can we? Do you think the kids would believe we loved them if we bought them NOTHING, this year? Stop laughing. Yeah, yeah, “tradition”. Everyone goes broke trying to prove how much they love everyone ELSE.

You know the REAL winners, don’t you, sweetheart? That’s right. The corporations making all this crud for everyone else to buy so they can feel validated just for being alive. Say, what if we just bought a TREE, or LIVESTOCK for a needy family, or something in the kids’ names? You’re laughing, again. I know, I know….’tradition’.

So, the cycle continues, unabated. Cynical? A bit. Truthful? Even more so. How about “World Peace”, as I’ve asked for, since I was a little boy? Not enough PROFIT, or CONTROL in it, I’ve found out over the years. As HAS been, will probably always BE, according to ancient, and recent history. The need to GAIN in order to feel fulfilled, damn the expense, or bodies required. So….

How about on an individual basis..?
The giving of SELF to others. Yeah, maybe THAT’s the secret. 😉

What if we made it a point to show….REALLY show those in our lives that we love them, year-ROUND? Would it make a difference to them? To US? Something to consider when you’re standing in line to pay for your gifts for your friends, and family, this year.

Celebrations should be joyous, fulfilling, and create wonderful memories for all, involved. Maybe a DAILY celebration is in order when we look at what we HAVE as opposed to what we DON’T have.

Could THAT be the answer to what is missing in our lives….? To feel appreciated, wanted, needed, and valued? So we don’t NEED a special occasion in order to be validated? I don’t know….it works for ME. 😉 Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Festivus, St. Stevens Day, Boxing Day, Yule, or whatever you decide to celebrate, this year, to you, and yours. <3 =D _/\_

The hidden story about vaccines, drugs and food… Three huge topics in one film. Why put all this in one movie? Because these issues are directly related, and we have an opportunity to harness the millions of us engaged in each of them to overcome the noise put out by the medical-industrial conglomerate. You peel back the layers and see what’s really driving our industrialized food, our vaccine expansion, and our dependence on pharmaceuticals – it’s the same culprit. Huge corporations funded by individual misery, one broken life at a time. These three story lines converge on Wall Street, but this story takes us beyond the problem to the inspiring and empowering role mothers are now taking in uniting to protect their families.

Thank you for checking out Metaliving, and the books, services, and especially YOUR contributions to our page! I call it “our” page because it involves ALL of us, looking for pieces to our own puzzle of life…seeking our individual truths, but in a forum which lets you know you are not ALONE on your journey! […]

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This time of year we gear up for the season of “giving”; that is, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule, or whatever you celebrate. From a child’s point of view, it’s the best time of the YEAR, nothing else compares! A week or so off from school, lots of food, playtime, and PRESENTS! BEFORE the day: What […]

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Memorial Day is the day people set aside to remember the veterans who fought in the various wars the U.S. was engaged in, and despite my personal feelings regarding the reasons, I want to honor the men and women who put their lives on the line for what they were sure was a just cause. […]

Karmic Relief

On the right, you can see a picture of me on the operating table, just before doctors attempted to remove the bolt shot into my neck from a lawnmower, which was my 2nd NDE at age 8.
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from "This Boy is About to Die":
My brother, Michael Bernard, was born on November 22nd, 1952, and passed away on March 3rd, 1953 … More Karmic Relief